Casing cutter



July 17, 1928.

WQ A. VOCK ETI' AL CASING CUTTER in* W ,fr /WW c ,.,0

r f r l Patented July 17, 192:8.

g 21,577,507] UNITED STATES PATENT oFjFlcE.-

WILLIAM A vociz, or nEnoNno BEACH, Ann HARRY E. 'LYNNQor .'ronnANcE, 1 a CALIFORNIA. Y

` CASING 'CUTTEB.

Application mea my 12, 1925. serial No. 29,737.

This invention has' to do with .a tool for use in well drilling and has-particular refe crence to a tool -or cutting casmg 1n a well.

The tool provided by this invention isstood from the followingdetaile'd .description 'of a typical preferred'form of the` in-4 vention throughout which description we make reference to the accompanying drawings in which i' and- Fi 1 isan exterior view ,of the device provlded by thls invention showing it in an unactuated position within a casing.

l. `ig. 2 isa view similar to Fig. 1 showing the device in section.'l

Fig. 3v is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the device in operative position.

' Fig. 4 i's an "enlarged detailedV transverse sectional view taken as indicated byline 4-f4on Fig. Fig'. 5 is an enlar 'ed detailed plan lsection taken as indicated y lijne 5-54on Fig.' 2,

Fig. 6 is an enlareddetailed plan section y1 1ine-66 on Fig. 2. The tool provided by 'this invention Aincludes, gene'r ally,`y a central longitudinal means 11 carried by the body, operating means 12v forthecutting means, also carried bythe body, and various other parts, the vdetails Vand functions 'of which will be hereinafter setforth.

In the particular form of lconstruction il lustrated in the drawingsthe 'body 10 is in general,round :in cross sectional congura.

' tion and. is an elon ated Vstructure formed ons, an upper or main section A and a lower or end -section-B. 'The main section .A oft he body carries'the' cut in. two separable sec ting, 'means 11.' and a part of the operating A is shown -heavier and j means T hje section 4larger in diameterpthan'the sectlonBA and to provide ing theupper end ofthe section B into an opening 13 provided in the lower en'd of the section A. The two'sections may be set by a nut'14sc1'ew threaded on the section B to engage the lower end of the section A. Thel upper end of the bod A has a sub or connecting member applled 'to it to serve asa connection between the device and an operating element suchy as a stringV of drill pipe 16. i

In the particular construction shown in the drawmgs the connecting member 151s screw 'threaded onto the upper end of the body A and is provided at its upper end with a tapered Screw threadedsocket 17 to receive the tapered pin 18 of a tool joint section 19 on the lower end of the drill pipe 16.

The cuttine means 11 is .located on the upper section of the body at a point spaced` somewhat below the upper end o'-the body and includes, generally,=one or more cutters 20 pivotally connected to the body and av I wedge ring 21 carried by the Joody to feed the cutters outwardly as the device is operf ated. We prefer in practice to use a plurality of cutters 20, for instance three, as shown in the drawings vvand-to arrange the cutters symmetrically around the body. The

cutters may be directly pivotally connected with the body section A b pivot pins 22 andiwh'en unactuated are 'a apted to occupy recesses 23 in the outer-side of` the body, so

that they `extend downwardly and slightly ins 20.- The outwardly from the pivot anenlarged body A may -be provided wit f part 24 at the means 11 to eiectively carry the cutters. -For instance, in the drawings y we have shown a downwardly. divergent enlrgementon the body at themeans 11 and have shown the cutter` receiving-recesses 23 formed,l in the part 24. The-cutters 20' 'are madel or vproportioned to project the desired distance from the body when actuated and have theirouter end portions dressed or finished to present cuttin edges 25. The wedge ring 21 is slidab y' carriedl on the body section y2 andwhichoperate 'to wedge or feed the cutters outwardly-- to a .ppition such as is shown in Fig. 3 upon the ng being moved A below .the enlarged part 24' and is provided with downwardly and outthe sections are connected by screw threadi upwardly on the body. The' wed e ring is preferably provided with side wa ls 27, at either side of the wedge faces 26 which serve to guide and support the cutters. It is preferred to hold the wedge ring against rotation onthe body so that it. does not exert side strain on the cutters. This means may include a sliding key connection 29'between the ring and body. v l

Our invention provides means for positively lretaining the cutters in the unactuated position shown in Fig. 2 and to release the cutters to allow them to move to a position such as is shown in Fig. 3 only upon their being operated by the operating means 12. In the preferred form of construction we provide a retaining ring 30 on the body section A at the upper part of the cutting means 11, the upper portion of which ring is slidably carried on the body while the lower portion normally extends downwardly over the cutters 20. A compression spring 3l is arranged under compression between the retaining ring 30 and the coupling member 15 at the upper end of the body A to normally urge the retaining ring' downwardly. When the cutters are in an uri-actuated position, orare seated in the i'ecesseso23, the retaining 1ring 30 maybe stopped by engage ment with the cutters or with the enlarged part 24 of the body, orbot-h. As means'for releasing the retaining ring from the cutters, that is, moving'the retaining ring upwardly to allow the cutters to move out as the cutters are operated we provide upwardly eatending flange like parts 34' on the upper end of the wedge ring 2l to engage the lower end of the retaining ring 30. With this construction as the wedge ring 2l moved updly to feed the cutters 20 outwardly the upwardly ent-ending parts 34 force the retaining ring upwardly against the resistance oit 'the spring 3l so that the retaining ring doesnot interfere with the proper feedi the cutters. The retaining ring is y portant as it operates to posi- "i hold t e cutters in or unactuated dun viering the tool into proper posi- '.ie casing lo, and also prevents the g or feeding outwardly i positively fed by the vnts the cutters :trom g u uiclrly .into 'the casing. ine operatng means l2 includes7generally7 means for gripping or engaging the casing C to form a lined stop or abutment with reference to which the body may be operated to cause movement of the wedge relative to the body in order to operate the cutters. ln accordance with the broader aspects of our'invention this means may be carried out in several ways. however, it is preferred that it comprises a slip mechanism to tightly @rip the casing and a tail piece for controlling operation of the slip mech anism. In the preferredl construction the slip mechanism includes a sleeve 40 slidably carried on the lower end of the body section A between a stop nut 41 on the lower end of the body section A and the wedge ring the casing C and are linished or roughened:

so that they are effective in gripping the interior of the casing. The wedge faces 43 on the sleeve are pitched so that the slips are clear of the casing when at the lower end of the lsleeve and engage and grip the casing when at the upper end of the sleeve. A bearing is provided between the upper end 'of the sleeve 40 and the wedge ring 2l to allow free rotation of the slip mechanism relative to the Wedge ring and cutting means.v This bearing may include two bearing rings 70 arranged between the sleeve 40 and wedge ring 21 one of them being provided Awith projecting bearing part which engages the dat face of the outer part.

'lhe tail piece which controls the operation of the slip mechanism is carried ou the lower section B of the body and includes two spaced collars 5() and 51 connected by a plurality of outwardly bowed leaf springs 52 which normally frictionally engage the interior of the casing C. The collars and 51 are slidably carried/on the section B of 'the body. lWe provide an extension 55 on one of the collars of the tail piece. There is a bayonet slot 56 in the extension to re-V ceive a projection or pin 57' extending from the body section B forming means for releasably connecting the tail piece land the body so that the tail piece can be operated or slid through the casing by the body. llhen the parts are in the rasition showu in Fig. l whe i the inner part of the l :il piece i*i mow ig when the body rotated re theltail piece liepin into be cuter part of the out of the ba' are rele 'elative lonfr ruplace between bayone vn so that a certain' anion dinal movement ca them. An operatin is provided between the tail pi. and slip mechanism whereby the slips 44 may be operated to grip the casing by movement of the body relative to the tail piece. This connection may include a ring 60 slidably carried on the upper portion of the body section B and conH necting links G1' connected to the ring 60 and slips 44 by pivot pins 62 and 63 respectively. so thatlthe slips may be moved by the ring HIS 60. The ring 60 normally held in a down unactuated position shown in Figs. l and 2- 2U with due to the engagement of the pin 57 L free to be moved downwardly relative to the t'pivotally mounted in the body section B.-

'lhe latch 64 has a projecting part 65 adapted to be engaged `by the uppermost'collar of the tail piece upon the mechanism' being operated so that the body is moved downwardly relative to the tail piece. When the .uppermost collar of the tail piece engages the projecting part 65 the latch releases the ring so l.that-the Acollar of the tail piece ca n engage the ring and moveit upwardly on thebody tol actuate the slips.

In operating the device, it is lowered into the casing C on the lower end of the drill pipe' 16, the cutters being held in the by the retaining ring 30 and the tail piece lbeing connected with the body to move therein the-inner part of the bayonet. slot 56. When the deviceA has reached the'point at which the'cut is to be made the body is operated or .manipulated through 'the drill pipe to disengage the pin 57 from the inner part of the bayonet slot so that the body is tail piece. The springs 52 frictionally engage the casing to hold the tailpiece Aso that the body can bemanipulated to disengage the pin 57 from the bayonet slot." As the -body is-moved downwardly relative tothe tai-l -piece the uppermost collar 50 of the tail piece first depresses the projecting part 65 'of the latch causing the latch to release the ring 60 and it then engages the ring 60 and moves it upwardly on the body causing the slips to be moved upwardly relativel to the sleeve '40 until they engage the casing C. When the slips have engaged the casing C thev sleeve 4() is held .against further or inthis case, downward, movement so that as the body continues to move downwardly the sleeve causes the wedge ring 21 to actuate the cutters and release the retaining ring so that the cutters feed outwardly from' the position -shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to that shown in Fig'. 3. During the -actuation of the cutters between the positions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the body is rotated 'sothat the cutters operate around in the casing. as they are fed outwardly and'thus operate to cut completely through the casing. IWhen the cut has been made and it is desired to with'- draw the device, or at any'time when it is desired to withdraw the device, vthe body is moved upwardly causing the tail :piece to move tothe lower end of the body section B thus allowing the slips to release the casing and the wedge ring to lower away from the cutters so that the cutters move inwardly vto their unactuated position by gravity and the action of the spring on the retalnmg ring.

" We have set forth .only lone.'arrangement ofparts and manner of operating' thedevice, but do not wish our invention understood as limited thereby. Itwill'b'e apparent from tion ofthe device is the reverse ofthat described.

Having claim:

l. In a well casing cutter operable to cut described our` invention,y we i by rotation, a body, a cutter'carrcd by the body, a retaining member for the cutter, and

member in position to hold thcutter unactuated.

2. Ina well casing cutter operable to cut by rotation, a body, a cutter pivotally cal'- ried by the body, a retaining member slidably carried by. the body normally extending over the cutter to holdit in an 'unactuated position, and means for simultaneously releasing the I etaining member and actuatingthe cutter.

'3- In a well casing cutter operable to 'cut by rotation, a body, a cutteri pivotally carried by the body, aretainng member slidably carried bythe body "normally holding the cutter unactuated, and a member slidably carried by' the body separate from the first mentioned member for simultaneously releasing the retaining member and actuating the cutter. y

4. In a well casing cutter operable to cut by rotationya body, a cutter pivotally carriedbythe body, a retaining ring slidably carried by the body normally engagin over thecutter to hold itin an unactuate position, and means for simultaneously releasing SO `means normally yieldingly holding the y' the retaining ring and actuating the cutter.

5. -In a well casingcutter operable to cut by. rotation, a body, a cutter .pivotally carried bythe body tov be movable between au in position where it is close to the body and `anout position where it projects from the body, a retaining .ring slidably carried by the body and engaging the cutter to retain it against outward movement and an operating ring slidablycarried on thel body operable to move the cutter outwardly and at the same time move the retaining ring so that it releases the 'cutter as it is moved outwardly. I

6. In a. -well casing cutter operable to cut -.1

on the" body, a spring carried on the body normally holding the retaining ring in position where it extends over the cutter to retain it in the in position, and an loperating ring carried by the body having a part engagable with the cutter to feed it outwardly, parts engaging the cutter to brace it and a part engaging the retaining ring to move it out of engagement with the cutter as the lcutter is fed outwardly.

between the tail piece and slip mechanism'and tail piece whereby the slip mechanism is operated by movement of the tail lpiece relative to lthe body,' and means for controlling movement 0f the tail piece relative to the body.

10. A tool to be operated in a casing including an elongated body, a cutter pivotally carried by-the body to be movable between a position where itis close to the body to a position where it projects from the body through the casing, a retaining ring slidably carried on the body at the cutter, a spring carried on the body normally holding the retaining ring in position to retain the cutter in an in position, ably carried on the body having a wedge part to feed the cutter outwardly, guide parts for bracing the cutter and a part engaging the retaining ring to move it to release the outter as the cutter is fed outwardly,a sleeve slidably carried on the body gaging the .operating ring, the sleeve havi ing wedge faces, slips carried by the wedge faces operable to grip the casing, a tail-piece 'slidably carried on the'body, links connecting the tail-piece and slips, and means controlling the movement of the tail-piece relative to the body.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 11th day of April, 1.925.

WILLIAM A; vooK.Y HARRY E. LYNN.

an operating ring slidoperatively en- 

